Warriors Reportedly Have 'Moved Away' From Trade Interest in Bulls' Nikola Vucevic
The Golden State Warriors' interest in Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vučević is reportedly a thing of the past.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Warriors were linked to Vučević at one time, but they have moved on and are expected to address their frontcourt needs elsewhere.
Fischer noted that the Warriors are a "leading contender" to sign veteran free-agent center Al Horford, who would be a replacement for Kevon Looney after he agreed to a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans in free agency.
Throughout the 2024-25 NBA season, few players in the league were the subject of trade rumors and speculation more frequently than Vučević.
Despite that, the Bulls kept the 34-year-old veteran in the fold for the entire campaign, and he enjoyed yet another highly productive year.
The two-time All-Star started 72 of the 73 games he appeared in and averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 three-pointers made per contest, while shooting a career-best 53.0 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from beyond the arc.
A 6'10" big who can shoot with that type of efficiency would seemingly be an ideal fit in Warriors head coach Steve Kerr's offensive system, so it came as little surprise when Golden State emerged as a candidate to acquire Vučević last season.
Nothing came of it, though, and with the Warriors reportedly now moving on to other options, it is unclear where or if Vučević will be traded this offseason.
While Vučević's defense leaves something to be desired and his age suggests he could drop off at any time, few centers have been more consistent than Vučević over the course of his 14-year NBA career.
He has averaged a double-double in each of the past seven seasons, and his career averages of 17.2 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game show why he has been able to hang around for as long as he has.
With the Warriors reportedly focusing more on Horford than a player like Vučević, it suggests that Golden State is placing emphasis on defense with its next center acquisition.
That approach makes sense given that Looney was a quality rebounder and a player willing to do the dirty work on the interior.
The 39-year-old Horford fits that description with his career averages of 7.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game, but he also brings some of the stretch offensive capabilities that Vučević does, averaging 2.0 three-pointers made per game and shooting 40.9 percent from deep over the past three seasons.
Horford brings the best of both worlds to the table for Golden State, but if he opts to sign elsewhere, it is fair to wonder if the Warriors may revisit the possibility of a Vučević trade given their win-now timeline with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler.
